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Islands of Cairns Tropical North Queensland

Revel in island time, choosing from your own little piece of paradise. From family-friendly Fitzroy to the exclusive Bedarra Island, spend your days snorkelling fringing reefs or wandering lush, tropical landscapes.

About the islands of Cairns Tropical North Queensland

If a day trip to the Outer Great Barrier Reef feels like too much of a mission, remember this: off the coast of Cairns and Tropical North Queensland – between 10 to 30 minutes’ travel time, depending on where you’re staying – lies a series of stunning islands, fringed with coral reef and vibrant marine life.

Explore the beautiful Great Barrier Reef islands and fringing reefs on a half day or full day tour from Cairns, Port Douglas and Palm Cove.

And if you decide to prolong your time on your chosen island, there are a range of accommodation options, from having the whole island to yourself to simple, honest camping. Wake up to be moments away from tickling your first turtle, or finding Nemo.

Which Tropical North Queensland island is perfect for you?

For families, Fitzroy Island is a favourite. Double kayaks, a massive ocean trampoline, and a glass-bottom boat mean it’s ideal for kids of all ages.

Green Island is a nature lover's paradise – the only coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef with a rainforest.

Then you have Bedarra Island, a romantic getaway destination home to exclusive resorts.

Read on to find out which Tropical North Queensland island will float your boat.

Only a 45-minute ride by fast catamaran from Cairns, Green Island and its reef are part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

What makes Green Island unique is that it’s the only coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef with a rainforest. Explore the lush, tropical national park and its diverse plant and birdlife at your own leisure.

If you find you need more time to enjoy all the island has to offer and would like to extend your stay on Green Island, the luxurious 5-star Green Island Resort is ideal for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or family holiday.

Named after its two mountainous peaks, Double Island is located only minutes away from Palm Cove, the launch transfer access point for the island.

The privately-owned island is home to a single, exclusive resort that allows a maximum of 36 guests at one time. Day trips to the island are not offered - the stunning island retreat is available for the exclusive use of resort guests.

Your secluded island paradise

If you’re lucky enough to be staying on the island, your driver will meet you at the airport, where you’ll be driven in a private limousine to Palm Cove to board the transfer vessel. Or you could opt for the helicopter transfer direct from the airport. However, the maximum number for this option is three per flight.

Once you’ve arrived at your tropical destination, you’ll discover that each villa is ensconced within tropical rainforest, providing complete privacy while giving guests easy access to the beach only minutes away.

As for the island itself, expect untouched, natural beauty, which you can enjoy by doing as little, or as much, as you like. There are catamarans, windsurfers, canoes, and kayaks. Or you can explore the island along the walking tracks. There is also an indoor cinema, as well as the outdoor moonlight cinema.

The convenience of Palm Cove only 10 minutes away, means you can easily enjoy its boutiques, award-winning restaurants, and bars. It’s also the pick-up point for tours to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest – the two World Heritage-listed areas of Tropical North Queensland on nearly everyone’s bucket list.

Located 10km off the coast of Mission Beach, Bedarra is another one of the 12 islands that form the Family Group of Islands; the mother, to be more specific. It’s 100 hectares is home to tropical rainforest and exclusive resorts, that promise complete privacy and the ultimate in relaxation.

The lack of roads or cars, and limited visitor numbers, make this a truly idyllic experience – one that has been a favourite among the rich and famous, eager to escape the limelight.

While the island enjoys regular repeat visitors, Bedarra isn’t for everyone. The resorts don’t cater for families. And if you’re after nightclubs and rowdy bars, then it’s probably best to stick with the mainland.

Top things to do:

Enjoy a candlelit dinner for two on your own private beach.

Feel the tension slip away with a relaxing therapeutic massage.

Explore the island on foot and take a self-guided walk through the rainforest.

Take a trip out to snorkel or dive the outer Great Barrier Reef.

Go kayaking or stand up paddle boarding – you’re bound to see some of the local wildlife, whether it’s a turtle coming up for air or one of the seabirds gliding overhead.

The largest of the Family Islands Group and known as the father, Dunk Island is a stone’s throw from the mainland. So close, in fact, that you could kayak to it from Mission Beach, spotting turtles and rays along the way.

Or you could zip over to Dunk Island on the Mission Beach Dunk Island Water Taxi if you’d prefer to save your energy for island time.

Its original name of ‘Coonanglebah’ means ‘island of peace and plenty’ and you’ll see why. With its lush, tropical rainforest, many choose to explore the national park on foot.

Top things to do:

Climb up to Mt Kootaloo, a 7km return walk sheltered by overhanging vegetation that keeps the track cool. At the lookout, you’ll see the other islands that complete the ‘family’.

Jump off the jetty, go fishing or snorkel in the fringing reefs off Muggy Muggy or Coconut Beach.

If a little bit of solitude is what you’re after, you’ll always find a beach on Dunk Island that you can enjoy on your own.

The Sunset Cafe is the perfect place to enjoy a refreshing drink. Sip on a coconut water as you ponder what to nibble on while sinking your toes into the sand.

If you’d like to extend your stay by camping, the island has eight standard camping sites with toilets and showers only a short walk away. You’ll need to book with the Dunk Island office and National Park camping fees apply.

The ‘twins’ of the Family Group of Islands offer a truly remote camping experience, accessible only by boat. Each island has only one camping spot, both of which are located on the southern side of the island.

Wheeler Island’s camping site will accommodate a maximum of 10 people and Coombe’s maximum is eight.

Each has a picnic table and that’s about it for facilities. Visitors will need to be completely self-sufficient, bringing their own drinking water, food, fuel stoves, and rubbish bags.

Stand at any of the lookout points along the Great Barrier Reef Drive and you’ll spot an island north of Port Douglas that looks remarkably like a crocodile.

Aptly named, Snapper Island is one of the most distinctive off the coast of Tropical North Queensland. Rising 99m above sea level and located 2km from the mouth of the Daintree River, this uninhabited island is part of the Hope Islands National Park.

It’s also part of the traditional sea country of the Kuku Yalangi Indigenous people, who continue to fish around the island to this day.

Top things to do:

Set off on a kayak tour from Cow Bay on the mainland to the island, and you’re likely to spot dugongs, turtles and even dolphins along the way.

Popular for camping, which requires a permit, Snapper Island’s lush forests, mangroves, and coastal vegetation support a range of land and sea bird species and is known as a haven for birdwatchers.

Boating and fishing are popular activities around the island. Access by boat is limited though, due to the shallow fringing reefs.

Located halfway between the Daintree River crossing and Cape Tribulation, Cow Bay is home to a small community. It is the first populated area you’ll come across after rolling off the Daintree River Ferry.

Surrounded by World Heritage-listed rainforest, Cow Bay is made up of three, unspoilt palm-tree fringed bays. Lauded as one of the most isolated and beautiful beaches of the area, the name is thought to come from the farming of cattle in the early days, as passing sailors would see cows on the beach. Others theorise the area is named after the dugongs, also known as sea cows.

Accommodation options include bed and breakfasts, holiday homes, backpacker resorts, and camping. Visitors may find it more convenient to stay at Cow Bay if they have a car, as it’s a decent trek between the main points of interest, such as wildlife river cruises, rainforest tours, or the Daintree Discovery Centre.

Top things to do:

Walk north along the beach at low tide around the headland to discover more isolated beaches.

Explore Cow Bay on a guided sea kayak tour where you’ll set off at sunrise, cruising along the national park coastline searching for turtles, dolphins, dugongs and more. If weather permits, you’ll snorkel at the fringing coral reefs.

Fishing is another popular activity. Throw a line from the beach or the rocks.

Get to know the islands of Cairns Tropical North Queensland

Great Barrier Reef Blog

This tour is special in so many ways, and is unrivalled to all other reef tours in Far North Queensland. First of all, it has the shortest open water crossing to get to the Great Barrier Reef. Fantastic news for anyone prone to motion sickness.
Although this tour is a ‘Reef’ tour, it includes a ‘River Cruise’ on the journey there with Island activities on arrival. And a huge PLUS to guests that like to avoid the crowds, it has one of the lowest passenger capacities of all the island tours with a maximum of 100 guests.
The destination is to an uninhabited continental island called Normanby in National Park which is part of the archipelago of Frankland Islands. It is located 10km offshore from the mouth of the Russell and Mulgrave Rivers at Russell Heads, which is approximately 45km South-East of Cairns.
The Normanby Island has an abundance of wildlife not only in the water, but also on the island itself. The island is pristine, and has its own rainforest and a fringing reef not far out from its sandy shores. There are also coral gardens located further out from the island for the those that want to explore the deeper waters.

This is not a blog, it is a pitch on how good this Great Barrier Reef 2 day 1 night liveaboard dive trip from Cairns is such good value.
One of our team members wrote it because she thinks it is such an amazing good value Great Barrier Reef tour, she wanted to write about it and put it on our Barrier Reef Australia blog page.
We were not sure it was appropriate to pitch a single tour but we decided on free speech and free opinions so read more if you are inclined, or go to another page now.
From our wonderful Great Barrier Reef Tour Specialist Chelsea
Are you looking for a good value liveaboard Great Barrier Reef scuba diving adventure from Cairns without the crowds?
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If your answer is yes, then check out what deals we have on offer with our Great Barrier Reef Tour 2 Day 1 Night Sail, Snorkel and Scuba Dive tour!

If you are scared of the water and the creatures that live there or have never been exposed to an aquatic life in your younger years, but still wish to live out that lifelong dream of seeing the iconic wonders of the world the Great Barrier Reef, then that is okay, we have a tour that will enable you to see the coral reef from above the water and also below the water’s surface without you even getting your hair wet!

If you are travelling to Australia to see the Great Barrier Reef don't forget other iconic attractions such as the rainforest and the amazing wildlife. Do all that and save money with combo package tours.

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